long way from home - visitor?

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    Their body protested every step yet they pushed on, fighting the desire to simply lay down and allow sleep to take them, the darkness all too inviting. With no certainty would they speak of how long their travel had taken them, the high walls of the city they had found a home within long gone, but it was little more than a memory now, cast into shadow. Unfamiliar with the land and driven on by the simple need to find a safe area Aja had forced themself to keep going even as their muscles tightening, burning pain gripping shoulders and hips, threatening to topple them.


    No real thought had brought them to leave the city behind, it was simply the fear which had curdled their stomach and left a bad taste in their mouth, their want to escape it given free reign all too soon. Though young the raptors which wandered the streets were a sight they had come to grow weary of, each step shadowed by the thought they might be around the corner and they would be unable to escape, those sharp teeth enough to write their end if the feral creatures so desired to see their end. It seemed an impossibility to escape them, doggedly they followed Thea about, small moments all they could steal away in their adoptive mother's presence, yet it was always there, the fear one might intrude upon what little time they had with her. It seemed a simple solution to leave, if only for a short time, but they learnt quickly how dangerous such a trek proved.


    Moving far beyond the only home they had known Aja stumbled blindly, each breath a gasp as their lungs squeezed tight, a soft cry escaping them when finally they simply collapsed. Unknown to them they lay just within the border of another group, the scent of Sunclan still strong yet becoming overpowered enough to hopefully spare them, if not then their age for they were still only a child.


    “Ma...” The word slipped from them in a soft whisper, the last thing before their mind began to slip into darkness, peaceful and welcoming, yet they fought back all the same, terrified of what might happen if they fell into unconsciousness.

    TAGS ✦ ✧ ✦ — When it was humid outside, seeing someone collapse from exhaustion was a bad thing. Luckily it wasn't super humid today. Otherwise Sundance probably would have tried to cut or rip her fur out. "Hello? Oh!" Her eyes widened. "Here, I'll be back with something for you!" The kitsune took to the skies, back to camp, and returned a few moments later with a small bowl full of honey, placing it in front of the SunClan member. "Okay, here. Sip this. It will help give you some energy."




    "speech"

    They didn't want to open their eyes, wanted nothing more than to just sleep, but they fought back. Blurry at first they looked up towards Sundance, brow lowering as confusion took them.


    “Thea...?” Unfamiliar upon their tongue the name came unbidden, hope behind it. It quickly faded, however, as they noticed the differences. While the two were kitsunes they latched onto the wings upon her back, unlike their mother who seemed simply a fox beyond the multitude of tails, a soft whimper rising as they realised it wasn't who they desperately wanted.


    Reaching towards the medic Aja tried to grab at her, wanting to make sure she was real, but as quickly as she had appeared she was gone once more. Drawing in as close a ball as their exhausted body would permit they waited, not quite sure what to do or how to react to the situation they had put themself into. Once more she was there, the sweet smell enough to entice them to struggle up, yet they could do little more than take a small sip of the honey before their legs gave out. Again they reached out, trying to hook their paws around Sundance's leg and drag themself closer, seeking her warmth and some small comfort, for the moment happy to just not be alone.

    TAGS ✦ ✧ ✦ — It must have been quite a trek for this one, Sundance thought--seeing as how they only took a bit of the honey. A plaintive frown was on her maw. As much as she wanted to return them to their group, she wasn't used to having others on her back, like her mate. The stranger didn't look heavy, but she didn't know their weight for sure. "Oh!" Her gaze shifted downwards to find that the stranger had now clung to her leg. Secretly she wished someone else would come along and help her, but alas, no one had arrived yet. "Here, I'll stay with you. In fact..." Sundance glanced up to the sky for a moment, then back to the stranger. "I can take you back to my den, if you wish, so you can rest up. If you can climb on my back, that is. Otherwise, you can just sleep here. You look utterly exhausted." She had powers. She could fend off anything. And since SunClan was an ally, Aleksei wouldn't be upset, nor would the SunClan leader. Or so she thought. "Do you have a name?"


    "speech"

    Sometimes, Alexis forgets that she herself is a child. Ten months is not a long time to have experienced the world, but she likes to think she's seen just enough of it. Still, she's not particularly old or wise, so when she chances upon Sundance and Aja, it takes her a couple of seconds to piece together what's going on. Medicine has never been her forte, Lexi is much better at other things, and she's always shied away from holding the life of another in her paws. "Um, do you need any help?" It's a useless question, one that Alexis uses to announce her presence, more than anything else, but she hopes Sundance understands her meaning. She works well with instruction, as long as it is given.

    SLOW CINNAMON SUMMER

    clove arcanium / ♀ / tags & information


    *:･ﾟ✦ "Who's this?" Clove queried as she landed lightly beside Alexis, her golden eyes narrowed in confusion as they flicked between Aja and Sundance. Whoever it was, they seemed to be in a complete mess. And young - very young. As Clove watched the stranger thoughtfully, the name that was mentioned was one that Clove recognised. A fellow Arcanium; technically, Clove was Thea's adoptive aunt, but she hated the term. It made her feel so old.

    "Did they say Thea? The SunClan leader's name?" the catsune spoke aloud, double checking mostly for herself as she glanced between Sundance and Alexis.

    TAGS ✦ ✧ ✦ — Alexis came up and Sundance internally breathed a sigh of relief. "Would you mind returning to camp and looking for lamb's ear in my den? Just bring me a few leaves, please." She grabbed the bowl with her paw and pushed it towards the stranger. "Why don't you eat a little more honey?"


    Then Clove came up. Oh good. The kitsune met her groupmate with a small smile. "Did they? I didn't hear it. But it seems this child is from SunClan, and must have traveled here for some reason." she deduced. "I should probably take them back to my den to rest up. I gave them honey, but they didn't eat very much..."


    "speech"

    "I'm not sure, I just got here." Alexis is still eyeing Aja as Clove appears, though her attention is quickly shifted to Sundance when the medic trainee asks her to run for herbs. Right, she can do that, purely physical work, she doesn't even have to think until she gets to the den and has to shuffle around for the lamb's ear itself. "Of course," she says in response to Sundance, hopping up and sprinting away in the direction of her den.


    It's very neatly organized, which helps a lot when she gets there, because Lexi locates the lamb's ear pretty easily, and delicately paws off a few leaves, bending down to pick them up before bounding back in the direction where they'd all found Aja. She skids to a stop, alabaster paws kicking up a small cloud of dust as she deposits the lamb's ear in front of Sundance. "Here you go!" She says, a little breathless from her little run.

    Too much. Already pounding with the beginnings of a migraine their head is left spinning as other voices rise about them, no matter the volume of each they come together into a churning mess, individual words hard to pick out amongst it. Their breath hitched and teeth clamped down over their tongue, body dragging slightly as they tried to draw themself closer to Sundance, wanting to drown out the world around them. Unused to the high amount of travel and already put under a great amount of strain the slight movement is enough to leave their back legs and hips burning, the first sob breaking through as their pressed their forehead against the kitsune's leg.


    “Rapta, scared, please...” Aja struggled to get the few words out, fearing the strangers would return them to Sunclan when they had travelled so far to get away. In time they would go back, the heavy feeling of homesickness already plaguing them, but for now they wanted to stay away, the weary disposition to those they considered family becoming terror the more time they spent around the raptors. Hoping they understand Aja refused to speak anymore, breathing heavily and keeping their body as still as possible.

    "Thank you." She took the herb and began to chew it up, and when she spit it out into a poultice, she heard Aja speak again. "Rapta"? Could it be...that SunClan raptor she had seen? Maybe they were attacked by them.


    She allowed them to be closer to her. But it seemed they weren't interested in eating. "Okay, here, why don't you come rest up in my den? I'm sure Thea won't mind. You don't look well enough to get back to SunClan so you can rest up in my den and tell me what happened later. Can you climb on my back?" She laid down and laid her tails down so they could get on, then glanced at Clove and Alexis. "Clove, Alexis, would you mind helping?"


    //mobile

    Her first instinct is to let out a long 'uhhhhhh' because Alexis has absolutely no clue how to help, but she putters over to Aja's other side anyway, glancing up at Clove in a silent cry for help. Are they supposed to lift her? Push her gently? "Okay, I guess on the count of three?" She asks, figuring it'll be best for them to do whatever is it they're doing together and at the same time, to minimize the potential for any injury or mistakes or accidentally dropping Aja back to the ground, that would be bad.